Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-12


He slipped in. He saw a woman carry some
thing white out of the house and lay it down
under a tree. Then she went back and
broupht out something else white and laid it
down by the other. That was Slugger's time.
He slips up along there, when out comes the
woman aein, and lays down something else.
Then she went in. Slugger watched, and she
didn't come back. He slips up closer, and
finds there two babies asleep and box along
with ,em. He lifts up the babies easy IKE.
He has a pocket, useful in his perfesslon. de
chucks the box in that pocket. Then he
lights out babies and box
.He knowed the babies and he knowed their
father.
aHe was smart and lively, Slugger was.
He lodges the police, and he slips along
through alleys and side ways, and he brings
the children home to Moll.
"'There,' says he, there's pair OF KIDS LOT
Won big reward II be offered for EN-.
at was a game thing to do, and risky
one, Slugger opened the box. 1t was
Jewel box. Moll says it blinded her eyes to
look at the things in it, She amt never seen
sich a sight since. Among the things was a
curious lookin' blue ring. Slugger TOOK up
with a notion in mint. He told Moll an
awful row would be raised about the boys,
and they couldn't be kept together. He'd take
one and so over seas with it. The other heu
leave with Moll That other was me. LUCK
was agin me from the time was born
"Slugger said he'd wait till the reward got
stiff enough. Then he'd manage the business
part from safe ways off, He took the un-
common lookin' blue ring with him. 1t WASN'T
worth much, he said, and it would help prove
that the babies was them jinooine two babies
that was lost.
"a ship went out on the tide that morning.
Slugger knowed every ship. He could get
aboard in onregular ways, when he pleased.
So at 5 o'clock, before people was awake, my
twin brother was in q ship, started over seas.
"Moll never laid eyes on her husband again.
He had pardner in London Slugger was
from London himself. She got a letter from
his pardner three months after he went away.
Slurrer was dead. He had been shot break
ing into q house. He was wounded, but
lodged the police and got off to his den
They found him dead there. In the room
with the dead burglar was little boy.
SIugger's pardner knowed the child had been
Kidnapped for reward He didn't know
whose child it was.
"Slugger's pardner was in hiding hmset,
and didn't dast to come out and say anything.
The kid was took to st. Hildegarde Found
| ling asylum. Some rich people adopted hm
after awhile. That was t'other young one
Luck was always agin me.
"Moll kept the letter I've got it pasted in
the back of my journal But Moll didn't
know the name Of the father of them two
kids, t'other young un and me. Slugger
| III ua IL tn hlSSnlf for
meanness. From all we can make out, Slug
ger held as much cussedness in his skin as any
white man ever did. If he thought his wife
wanted anything that was reason enough
whv she shouldn't have it. He had the right
idees of trainin' females. Moli, the blamed
ole IDIOT why'n't she look into the newspa-
pers? If it had been me! But women never
reads newspapers. If they did, they'd know
more.
"'Moll,' says I, will you swear to thisF
"'Yes,' says she, I will, If it won't get me
into trouble. If it will, I'll swear made II
up out of my own head, every word OF It.
"tAre YOU dead sure this is that there same
ring that was in the jewel box!" !.
"'Dead sure. Don't you see them letter
and that date insidea Them wouldnC be
r but one ring would theys"
| 49,
told me. I've got that pasted in the back o
J my journal, too. 1t always appeared 10 III
that if feller knowed for certain he ha(
good blood in him, that he could make some
thing of himself"
@tThen,' says /, Molly darling, take thi
5 and get drunkern billed owl. That there
3 for your trouble. It's bottle full OF lauda
l mum. Bless We, my child!
4 HNext thing: How did that ring get on th
: finger of the young lady that gave it to m
for being good lookin'a There was some III
pleasant circumstances jined to that presen
t They would have worked agin me In III
= minds of people with prejudice
d "About that time l heard of the death OF
It colored gentleman, an old friend of mine.
l upset nv nerves completely. couldn't bea
8 to 90 near the place where my friend ha
died. Change of scene was all that wou
g restore my sperrits. jumped the countr.
1t "But never got my mind off that the
d ring. l thought about it off and on for year
And by stiddy study figgered the thing Of
at last. Light broke in on me. The your
IS lady had q English sweetheart, which he
n married to her now, blast his soul! The En-
S. lishman brought that ring over seas and ga
Y II TO her. How did the Englishman get
when the last heard Of it twas on rlbb'
l. around the neck of t'other kid which wasr
IS me"
After that there were breaks in Rips stor
I The penmanship became DINNER and mo
in unsteady. Yet through all the record the
Us ran still the one purpose of discovering wh
e. his family had been.
y At one point there was mention OF ia
yer feller," who turned out to be preclo
T. rogue. Rip let him into the mystery as
a as he knew. Then the lawyer threw Kip oV
Id and worked the mystery on his own accoul
n. Evidently he scented something worth TAXI
he trouble about 1t appeared that he went
I'D England. He copied from the st. Hildegar
d. asyum books the record Of the admission
70, totber kid, and his adoption afterward by
English country family. There was ev
he mention and description of the ring fou
with the child 1t was taken along with Ii
Fe. by the family that adopted him. The law.
its investigated further and satisfied himself IL
ue were both mystery and money worthy
res most distinguished legal talent. He mf
ny lerallv certified copies of the informal
pained. and brought his papers back home
Yet he miscounted. Rip, the ragged,
's.' worthless; Rip the tramp, was not 10
ok thrown over He pursued the "lawyer fell
Id like o wolf. Where the lawyer knew
We tnrn to take to hide his little game, the ira
1T. knew ten ways to find 1t out.
Ter Rim knew the hour the lawyer set foot
his home. He followed him and badge
ne, him The lawyer denied everything.
Rim became satisfied the attorney had imp
ant information. Set thief to catch th
y6s | - ~ 49, fza,. n time LAWYER SQle